Jumping off this topic.
I have GERD. It sucks. Reducing alcohol seemed to help a bit. A daily pantoprazole pill for it really seems to work, but has side effects.
What should I try? What has worked for you?
I have GERD. It sucks. Reducing alcohol seemed to help a bit. A daily pantoprazole pill for it really seems to work, but has side effects.
What should I try? What has worked for you?
One thing that has helped a ton is Gaviscon Advance imported from the EU, which contains Sodium Alginate. This was recommended to me by a GI specialist at MGH; the sodium alginate floats to the top of the stomach and forms a sort of physical barrier for a few hours to prevent acid from coming up (alongside other antacids like you'd find in tums). For reasons I don't understand almost nothing is marketed in the US containing it.
The tablets like these (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GCN88WX/) are honestly pretty palatable - I chew them a couple times and then wash down with water, and it avoids some of the gumminess reviewers describe.
There's also a liquid that I think might find a bit more effective, but less palatable and convenient on-the-go (https://www.amazon.com/Gaviscon-Advance-Aniseed-500/dp/B01N4...).
It forms a raft which physically stops the acid from rushing up.
I use life extensions esophageal guardian, which are chewable tablets. (Don't confuse it with esophacool, which is just an anti-acid)
I started avoiding trigger foods like dark chocolate and started front-loading my meals earlier in the day. Still drink lots of coffee.
I now have my final meal about 4.5+ hours before bed, and it's usually small.
My new routine became habit and all symptoms and suffering completely disappeared. And it's not like my body changed, because if I do eat too late, I get bad heartburn like I always have.
Also worth mentioning that I have a very slim build and have a diet high in fiber with minimal processed foods which probably helps too.
Depending on what kind of pill you take you might want to try an alternative. E.g. ranitidine vs omeprazole or other proton-pump inhibitor.
But I presume you've seen a doctor? Because there are some really serious issues that can also trigger it and suppressing the symptoms can mask issues like stomach cancers so you don't want to self-medicate without at least checking with a doctor first.
He also said it was odd to have it at my age and weight but I've since found others in my family have it as well, so maybe genetic?
Second, investing in a full length bed wedge that goes either under your mattress (and extends the entire length of the mattress from head to foot) or the same but as a memory foam topper, it really does alleviate the night time unable to sleep problem. I used one made by Avana comfort with a ton of success. The partial bed wedges or pillow bed wedges are too uncomfortable for me personally but the ones that go from head to foot at a gradual gentle incline are fine.
Figuring out dietary triggers is also a huge factor for many.
For me, I discovered if I eat any tomato at all, even tiny pieces - I will have acid reflux symptoms for like at least 12 hours. So I just don't it anymore except at a rate 11am lunch and even then I still often suffer.
For me, cutting out coffee is the other biggest solution, but I'm an addict and can't stop permanently, but I've found that cold brew (NOT hot brew over ice - aka many 'iced coffee' methods) - with specifically those labeled Dark Roast - to be the least aggravating (because both the cold brew extraction method and the darker roasts have a lower amount of acidity) and adding milk to make it less harsh as well, for me I do a 1:1 ratio between cold brew and almond milk, and finally only drinking it first thing in the morning as soon as possible after a breakfast, is fine.
I don't need the bed elevator/wedge if I follow my proper dietary alterations (barring certain late night alcohol situations).
The esophagus approaches the stomach from the right side, then hooks in to meet it. When you sleep on your right side, and the sphincter muscle is weak, the fluid just goes down like a drain. When you sleep on your left side, even if the muscle is weak, the fluid would need to go up, or the stomach be entirely full, to get into the esophagus.
Pictures to aid understanding: https://www.google.com/search?q=esophagus+stomach&tbm=isch
This improvement for me has been really recent. Maybe it helps you too. Good luck!
A wedge pillow helped a little. Keeping some alkaline water at my bedside to sip helped more. These were to ameliorate the symptoms to give my body a chance to heal on its own (over a few weeks). I didn't want to take omeprazole, and without these ameliorations I might've been driven to that. I followed a carnivore diet.
Laying off of greasy foods has helped immensely for me. Reducing alcohol (as you mentioned) has also been a minor improvement, though definitely not as much as what I mentioned prior.